Philippines: Fifth journalist killed this year

Reporters Without
Borders expressed great concern today at the killing of
radio journalist Rico Ramirez, apparently by the drug
underworld he had criticised, in the town of San Francisco,
in the Philippines province of Agusan del Sur (northern
Mindanao island).

His death on 20 August (but only
revealed today) came a day after the murder of radio
journalist Noel Villarante and brought to five the number of
journalists killed in the Philippines this year for doing
their job.

"The impunity enjoyed by killers of
journalists, especially in the case of Edgar Damalerio,
encourages hitmen and those who hire them to physically
eliminate critical media workers," the press freedom
organisation said. "The government is partly responsible for
this wave of violence, which makes the country one of the
world's most dangerous for journalists."

It called on
interior and local government minister José D. Lina and
provincial governor Adolph Edward G. Plaza to see that
police arrested and punished Ramirez' killers and urged the
authorities to introduce a scheme to protect threatened
journalists, as has been done by the Colombian government.

Ramirez, who worked for the radio station dzSF, was shot
dead by two gunmen, who fired at him from behind about 100
metres from his place of work. The station manager, Max
Tutor, who saw what happened, said police had not found any
clues so far. But Ramirez' recent criticism of local
organised crime and drug traffickers suggested these circles
were responsible.

Ramirez was the 41st journalist killed
since 1986, apparently because of his work. The other four
murdered this year were Villarante, John Villanueva, of the
radio station dzGB-AM (28 April), Apolinario "Polly" Podeba,
of radio station dwTI-AM (17 May) and Bonifacio Gregorio, of
the local weekly Dyaryo Banat (8
July).

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